Meet the NPA young woman killed in Batangas

She was only 22 years old who died during a firefight between the Armed Force of the Philippines and the New Peoples Army on November 28 in Nasugbu, Batangas. Josephine Lapira was a former student of the University of the Philippines.

She is known as an activist who regularly promote her political beliefs to women and recruited them to join her. She was the Secretary General of the Gabriela Youth.

She was one of the 15 killed in the firefight.

The AFP has retrieved personal belongings, guns, foods and grenades from the rebels. The fight broke when authorities received a tip that several rebels are on their way for an operation.

Maj. Engelberto Nioda Jr., commander of the PAF 730th Combat Group, said authorities were tipped off to the presence of vehicles “full of armed rebels” in Nasugbu, 65 kilometers south of Manila.

Delvo said joint police and military checkpoints were set up on the routes to Calatagan and Balayan towns after they received information about the vehicles.

“We were expecting them to pass by that road, as that would be the usual exit route, but they instead took a turn and headed toward the direction of Tagaytay [Cavite]. There were also checkpoints there,” Delvo said.

The authorities encountered two – an unmarked jeepney and a van – in the adjacent villages of Aga and Kaylaway, along the dimly lit part of the Tagaytay-Nasugbu highway.